CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Police responded to a call, Thursday, March 23, regarding an incident where a man was followed and threatened by another motorist in a reported road rage incident. Officials say it all began near the bottom of Carlisle Hill and escalated when the driver began tailgating the victim’s car and yelling at him.
The victim told officers that they pulled into a nearby apartment complex where the suspect blocked his car. According to the victim, the suspect yelled and threatened him with a silver handgun that he saw in a black holster under the suspect’s arm. The victim, reports say, was able to capture footage of the incident on his phone and shared it with the police.
After running a search, police identified the suspect as Michael Watson, a resident of West Second Street in Chillicothe. The police obtained surveillance footage from apartments, which showed Watson blocking the victim’s car and approaching him. The footage also showed the victim staying in his car for a few minutes before getting out and confronting Watson. The two individuals argued with each other, and the victim eventually drove around Watson’s car and parked in the first row of the parking lot. Watson then reportedly backed up his vehicle behind the victim’s car for another moment and then left the area.
When police contacted Watson, he initially claimed that the victim had threatened to kill him several times while they were driving up Carlise Hill. However, he later changed his story, stating that the victim had threatened to kill him when they arrived in the parking lot. Watson denied having a firearm with him during the incident, claiming that he only had his cell phone tucked under his arm to record the victim.
Based on the victim’s account and the evidence, police arrested Watson for aggravated menacing. He was transported to the Ross County Jail and booked for his charges.
